The first trailer for the highly anticipated "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" film has been released, and for fans of the previous films, prepare to be blown away.

In a nutshell, the plot features James Franco as a lab scientist attempting to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease by experimenting on apes. In grand Hollywood style, those tests create a brain mutation that greatly increases the intelligence of the animals, leading to a revolt and ultimate takeover of humanity.

Yes, besides ruining the Oscars, we can also blame Franco for the downfall of mankind.

After watching the trailer, you'll be amazed to know that absolutely none of the apes are real — a testament to the incredible talents of the people over at WETA Digital and the vision of director Rupert Wyatt.

According to one release, Wyatt wanted to send a message to other studios that in this day of advanced computer animation, there’s no need to stress out real animals for filmmaking. Fox Studios is also working with The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund to draw awareness to animal experimentation, a theme that features heavily in the film.

Check out this first glimpse of "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" below. The film is slated for release on Aug. 5.

The opinions expressed by MNN Bloggers and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of MNN.com. While we have reviewed their content to make sure it complies with our Terms and Conditions, MNN is not responsible for the accuracy of any of their information.